Image capture apparatuses such as a digital camera popularly use a semiconductor memory card as a recording medium for saving image data obtained by shooting. When transferring recorded image data to an external apparatus such as a personal computer (to be referred to as a PC hereinafter), printer, or television receiver, the digital interfaces of the digital camera and external apparatus are generally connected by a cable (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-223710).
In data transfer between the digital camera and the external apparatus, data is conventionally exchanged according to a predetermined communication protocol on a physical transmission line such as a cable.
As data exchange protocols between a PC and a digital camera, PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol) defined by the Still Imaging Device Class of the USB, and a protocol defined by the Mass Storage Device Class are often adopted.
In particular, a PC in which Windows® or Mac OS® supporting PTP at the OS level runs recognizes a digital camera when the digital camera is connected to it. In response to this, the PC can perform an operation of, for example, automatically activating a data transfer application and starting data transfer. This reduces the user burden and improves user friendliness.
There is also proposed a PictBridge standard which defines a direct print procedure to directly connect a digital camera and printer and print. In the PictBridge standard, communication between apparatuses also uses PTP. If the digital camera supports PTP communication, the user suffices to similarly operate the digital camera regardless of whether an external apparatus connected to the digital camera is a PC or printer.
Recently, memory cards having a wireless communication function have been marketed to more easily transfer image data from a digital camera to an external device. When this memory card is attached to a digital camera and used, it can automatically transfer image data to an external device capable of wireless communication. The user need neither connect a cable nor input an explicit transfer instruction.